Three deadly mistakes
that can crush confidence
Greatly condensed from the full article titled "3 Deadly Mental Mistakes Athletes Make That Cause Them To Lose Confidence and Fail" by Lisa Lane Brown posted at The Courage to Win.
"In my research and personal experience, I’ve found that most athletes are making 3 deadly mental mistakes that cause them to fail.
"#1: Not Knowing How to Defeat Your “DEMON STRESSOR”
"... (that's) anything that bothers you in competition – a mistake, a bad start, a negative comment from a coach – you name it...
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| Wesley Wolverine junior #99 OF Lauren Hoffman (Middletown, DE). |
"Such events only become a “stressor” if they trigger STRESS (fear) in you.
"What fear, you ask?
"Fear that you’ll fail.
"Whenever a DEMON STRESSOR shows up, it scratches your invisible wound – your fear – and creates stress in you.
"#2: PRESSING
(Fight Mode)
"... when you become stressed out, you have a strong impulse to try and CONTROL everything: your confidence, your performance, and winning.
"This leads to PRESSING.
"When you press, you over-try...
"Instead of trusting your body’s natural genius, you interfere with (and sabotage) your performance.
"...more you PRESS, the worse you perform, and more you lose confidence.
"#3: FOLDING (Flight mode)
"FOLDING is an attempt to flee stress by under-trying. You become passive and flat. Rather than attack your event aggressively, you lay back.
"You stay inside your comfort zone...
"This is called pessimism, or the tendency to think the worst will happen.
"Psychologists have actually proven that most of us are pessimistic most of the time...
"The truth is human beings are not built to persist. We are built for instant gratification. If we try to succeed but encounter setbacks, we tend to give up and FOLD.
"FOLDING sabotages you because to excel and win, you need to be aggressive.
"What next?
"Sadly, even superstar athletes can fall victim to PRESSING or FOLDING when their Demon Stressor shows up, which in turn causes them to lose their confidence. If you want to perform your best in big events, figuring out what your Demon Stressor is and defeating it is a MUST...
"Why not me?
"Why Not Me? comes from Mark Tewksbury, one of the finest swimmers in the history of the sport...
"Before the race, he said to himself, “Someone has to win this race. Why not me?”
"'Why not me?' is a beautiful thought. It is optimistic, confident, and relaxed. There is no PRESSING in this thought.
"When you stop pressing, you relax and have fun, and let your body lead.
"This puts you back in control, because you are not trying to control something (winning) that cannot be controlled.
"You are merely trying to encourage yourself, without pressure."
"What fear, you ask?
"Fear that you’ll fail.
"Whenever a DEMON STRESSOR shows up, it scratches your invisible wound – your fear – and creates stress in you.
"#2: PRESSING
(Fight Mode)
"... when you become stressed out, you have a strong impulse to try and CONTROL everything: your confidence, your performance, and winning.
"This leads to PRESSING.
"When you press, you over-try...
"Instead of trusting your body’s natural genius, you interfere with (and sabotage) your performance.
"...more you PRESS, the worse you perform, and more you lose confidence.
"#3: FOLDING (Flight mode)
 |
| Wesley Wolverine sophomore #13 Utility Ashley Royer (Lititz, PA). |
"FOLDING is an attempt to flee stress by under-trying. You become passive and flat. Rather than attack your event aggressively, you lay back.
"You stay inside your comfort zone...
"This is called pessimism, or the tendency to think the worst will happen.
"Psychologists have actually proven that most of us are pessimistic most of the time...
"The truth is human beings are not built to persist. We are built for instant gratification. If we try to succeed but encounter setbacks, we tend to give up and FOLD.
"FOLDING sabotages you because to excel and win, you need to be aggressive.
"What next?
"Sadly, even superstar athletes can fall victim to PRESSING or FOLDING when their Demon Stressor shows up, which in turn causes them to lose their confidence. If you want to perform your best in big events, figuring out what your Demon Stressor is and defeating it is a MUST...
"Why not me?
"Why Not Me? comes from Mark Tewksbury, one of the finest swimmers in the history of the sport...
"Before the race, he said to himself, “Someone has to win this race. Why not me?”
"'Why not me?' is a beautiful thought. It is optimistic, confident, and relaxed. There is no PRESSING in this thought.
"When you stop pressing, you relax and have fun, and let your body lead.
"This puts you back in control, because you are not trying to control something (winning) that cannot be controlled.
"You are merely trying to encourage yourself, without pressure."
 |
| Wesley Wolverine senior #18 C Nina Marcano (Middletown, DE). |
